This invention relates generally to removable camper shell tops for use with pickup trucks, and is more particularly concerned with a removably attachable soft shell top which includes provisions for attaching a roof rack.
The popularity of camper tops for pickup truck is well known. They are used to convert the bed of the pickup truck into a sizable enclosed space. With a camper top, a pickup may be used as a recreational vehicle or may simply be used as an enclosed truck for protecting cargo from the elements.
A camper top for a pickup is advantageous in that it may be removed so that the truck serves a dual purpose. Without the top, the truck may be used as an open-bed pickup. With the top, the truck is converted into an enclosed camper. However, the construction of known camper tops tends to thwart this advantage, because typical hard shell camper tops tend to be heavy and awkward and therefore not easy to remove or install. Thus, the owners of camper tops are often discouraged from removing them once installed, except in the most urgent need.
Various camper top constructions have been devised in an attempt to circumvent this disadvantage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,786 to McRay, for example, discloses a collapsible camper top with telescoping metal side walls that collapses into a stored configuration in the bed of the pickup permitting the pickup bed to be used while the collapsed camper top is stored there. Unfortunately, the collapsed McRay top occupies a substantial portion of the available cargo space in the bed.
In attempts to circumvent the above-noted disadvantage, camper tops have been devised that are formed of a light weight fabric or plastic covering that is installed over a removable or collapsible frame on a pickup truck body. An example of this type of camper top is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,734 to Hoover. Hoover discloses a frame consisting of interconnected sections of PVC pipe, where the frame rests in the pickup bed and is covered by a tarp laced to the frame by lengths of cord. While Hoover does provide a lightweight soft shell camper top, the PVC frame is not securely attached to the pickup bed and is incapable of supporting structural loads placed on the frame by, for example, a roof rack. Further, the tarp-covering is fixed to the PVC frame in such a manner that convenient access to the pickup truck bed is precluded.
The problems of soft shell camper tops for pickups are heightened when it is desired to equip the top with a roof rack, a feature in great demand by consumers. Roof racks are typically used by consumers to carry oversized and/or awkward loads such as bicycles, skis, camping gear, and other recreational equipment. Prior art soft shell tops may not have sufficient strength to support such loads which are typically on the order of 200-300 pounds. It is not presently believed that any prior art soft shell tops include provisions for a roof rack.
What is needed therefore is a soft shell camper top that is securely, yet removably, attachable to a pickup truck bed. Such a top should be equipped with features that allow for easy loading and unloading of gear or cargo from the sides of the pickup bed. Such a top should include provisions for attaching a roof rack and should have sufficient structural strength to support loads of at least 200-300 pounds in order to safely handle the weight of typical recreational equipment.
The present invention provides a soft shell camper top for a pickup truck that includes provisions for a roof rack and is capable of safely supporting the weight of the recreational equipment typically transported on roof racks. The soft shell top may be quickly and easily attached to, and removed from, a pickup truck bed. The top additionally includes innovative side panels and other features which allow for side access to the truck bed and for easy loading and unloading of cargo carried in the truck bed.
The soft shell camper top of the present invention includes a space frame, and a flexible outer covering. The camper top may optionally be equipped with a roof rack. The frame may be rigidly attached to the upper rails of a pickup truck bed and is preferably formed from stainless or powder coated steel. The frame includes a pair of longitudinal side rails which may be bolted or clamped to the truck bed. The frame also includes a plurality of lateral hoop members which closely conform to the shape of the pickup truck cab and which support the flexible covering. The hoop members laterally span the truck bed attaching to each opposing frame side rail. The frame further includes a plurality of longitudinal spreader bars. The spreader bars have provisions for mounting a roof rack and may be arranged in a variety of configurations to position the roof rack at different locations over the soft shell top. The optional roof rack is designed to be removably attachable to the spreader bars. The roof rack may carry typical recreational equipment and is preferably formed from steel.
The outer covering is flexible and foldable and shaped to fit over the space frame and to be secured in position so as to define a sizable functional enclosed camper space. The covering may be formed from any suitable material, but is preferably formed from a woven fabric of synthetic fibers. The frame and covering are formed to provide an aerodynamically desirable profile which permits the vehicle to be driven comfortably at typical freeway speeds with the camper top installed.